1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multifunctional input/output apparatus, a control method thereof, and a computer program product.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, multiple functions in digital copiers lead to a wide use of various digital copiers of a multifunctional type having a plurality of functions such as a printer, a scanner, and a facsimile. To use the functions provided in the digital copier effectively, the number of setting items such as an image formation parameter that needs to be set by a user increases. However, for example, when a liquid crystal display or hard keys are provided as an input unit for inputting a setting to the digital copier, a size of the liquid crystal display or the number of the hard keys is limited. Accordingly, the number of layers displayed for switching display screens, using the liquid crystal display, of a setting menu tends to increase. The user may find this inconvenient to use.
To solve such a problem, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H9-261382 discloses a technology in which an image forming parameter is recorded in an optically readable state by a barcode or the like, and that parameter is read and recognized by a scanner of a digital copier, thereby automatically setting the image forming parameter.
As an object to significantly shorten a reading time when such an image forming parameter is optically read, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-23912 discloses an “Information Code Reading Device and Information-Code Reading Method” in which a central processing unit (CPU) configuring a reading device causes a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor to execute “row skipping scan” to determine a location including in an information code and causes the CMOS image sensor to continuously scan only a portion involving the location including this information code, thereby performing a decode process on image data output at this time.
Recently, the digital MFP is regarded as one terminal on a network, and because of the digital MFP, a handwriting original or a paper resource can be digitalized, and as a result, these digitalized materials can be shared and utilized on the network. Furthermore, the digital MFP includes a function of delivering an input image from the digital MFP to a predetermined personal computer.
However, the conventional technologies are adapted such that an entire surface of the original data is loaded and an information code area is recognized and read from the loaded data. Thus, there are problems in that search efficiency is poor and it takes a long time for loading. Therefore, a much faster loading time has been desired. Furthermore, when the entire surface is loaded, it is probable that a redundant rectangular is extracted so that erroneous detections can be made.